If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

Besides, the NHL can hardly afford to lose so many loyal fans by them locking out. The NHL is far behind the other 3 big sports in fan base and this strike/lockout can only damage there reputation as the last not-as-high paying sport.

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

Originally Posted by tjovonovich

Dude, knocking the Wild, that's just a personal attack...Minnesota has always been a hot bed for Hockey.

I couldn't agree more, but my opinion still stands that the NHL expanded too quickly. It's not where they went as much as it was the principle. If you can't afford the kids you have, don't have any more.

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

I think one of the NHL's biggest problems was the 1990's. Hockey saw a big explosion in popularity in mid to late 90's, which lead to the unnecessary expansion and caused salaries and ticket prices to go up. When the bottom fell out and many of the newer fans went away, revenues went down, but the players kept the same salaries, leaving the teams and the league in financial trouble. The players need to be realistic. The NHL is no way close any of the other big leagues, but they seem to be dillusional and think they are worth $8 million a year contracts.

I'm on the NHL's side of this issue. If the players really wanted to play hockey, this thing would be settled and they'd have been on the ice months ago. They seem to be happy to be playing for relative peanuts in the minors and overseas, so why not agree to a cap?

Not sure how legal it would be, but I say the NHL should ignore the NHLPA and start fresh. Install a salary cap and hold open tryouts.

[FONT=Book Antiqua]He passes to Moses - He shoots, he scores![/FONT]Mummy of the raincoat is a gigantic trollop. DOMINATE!

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

Ah the NHL, where does one start with this mess, I guess the NHL itself & the owners. Like others have said, they expanded way too fast & caused a riff on its semi sailing wave of success. The owners on the other hand have pardon the pun screwed the pooch on just about every level. They created these large salaries all on their own. Are the players greedy, no not entirely, but they are not stupid either. If owner B wants to pay you 5 million over the next two years & owner C wants to pay you 8 million over the next two years, who are you going to sign with. It's a no brainer unless you really love the team & organization that owner B has to offer. Nine times out of ten the player will choose team C because of the extra money. Are they greedy, no just doing what everyone else in sports does, taking a larger piece of the pie. Do they make too much money? Yes, but they are underpaid compared to the other leagues out there (Basketball & Baseball).
The way I look at it, if Iím paying someone 180 million over the course of ten years they better learn how to fly because thatís what Iíll expect for my money. Sports is a crazy business & Iím not buying the NHLís whines this time around, they screwed up, they should fix it, not the players. The players tried many times to get something reasonable going on the table & all the NHL could say was CAP or take a hike. The final salary cap the league offered was around 42.5 million & the players wanted 49 million a difference of 6.5 million. This means that teams can only spend 42.5 million, therefore reducing the salaries of superstars & the average player. If youíre a player whoís worked hard & earned a good salary you donít want that to happen, if youíre a future player you definitely donít want that to happen. Bottom line the NHL should have took the 49 million offer along with profit sharing but this is an ego thing & it wonít be resolved anytime soon I believe. They had a whole summer to rectify this & look what happened when both sides met or how few they did. You can bet the rest of the leagues are watching closely on this one to see how it pans out for the future of the game. IMHO itís hurt the game for good in a lot of major cities.

THANKS FOR THE AT-TE & FALCON HASBRO. NOW IT'S TIME FOR A LARGE TANTIVE IV!

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

It's probably a bunch of nonsense, but Yahoo! says that the season could still be saved.

[font=arial] There might be an NHL season, after all. The NHL and the players' association will meet in New York on Saturday after the league requested the sides get together again. [/font] [font=arial] On Wednesday, commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the season, saying it was too late to play any semblance of a schedule. That made the NHL the first major North American sports league to lose a full season to a labor dispute. [/font]

[font=arial]Or did it? [/font]

[font=arial] "I think the timing has always been to get an agreement so that we can play," said New Jersey Devils president Lou Lamoriello, who has taken part in previous negotiations. "Right now, it's still get an agreement, and then if we get an agreement, then can we play? [/font]

[font=arial] "I think it's a little different than it was before." [/font]

[font=arial] In a statement released Friday night, the players' association said the NHL made the offer late Thursday night to get together. There was no immediate word on who would take part in the meeting. [/font]

[font=arial]"The way everything has transpired, nothing surprises me," said Lamoriello, who declined to say whether he would be in attendance. [/font]

[font=arial] NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly was involved in a closed-door meeting Friday evening and declined to comment. [/font]
[font=arial]
There hadn't been any official contact between the NHL and the players' association since Tuesday night ó when the sides traded what they said were final offers. [/font]

[font=arial]All proposals were rejected, and Bettman went ahead and canceled the season Wednesday at a news conference that was scheduled two days earlier. [/font]

[font=arial]"I don't think anything was premature. It was a necessity," Lamoriello said. "It didn't appear to be going anywhere and there was too much jockeying going on. [/font]

[font=arial] "Right now, there's a chance of people getting down to possibly getting this done." [/font]

[font=arial] Bettman said in a letter to NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow on Tuesday that the league's salary-cap proposal of $42.5 million was as far as he could go and that there was no time or flexibility for negotiation. [/font]

[font=arial] Goodenow sent a letter back, proposing a soft cap at $49 million that could be exceeded by as much as 10 percent by teams twice during the course of the six-year deal. [/font]

[font=arial] It appeared there was momentum toward reaching a deal and that the season had a chance to be saved, since the sides were only $6.5 million apart on their cap numbers. But talking ceased after each side sent two letters to the other on Tuesday night. [/font]

[font=arial] There were big breakthroughs Monday in Niagara Falls, N.Y., when the NHL agreed to drop its demand that player costs be linked to league revenues, and the union, in turn, came off its steadfast opposition to a salary cap. [/font]

[font=arial] "We got through the philosophical end of it, so there's a better chance, but I think there is still a lot of work that has to be done and it still takes some ti[/font]

Read the rest at the link.

[FONT=Book Antiqua]He passes to Moses - He shoots, he scores![/FONT]Mummy of the raincoat is a gigantic trollop. DOMINATE!

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

I think this season is shot. BUt what they need to do is get a CBA for next season so this crud doesnt happen again. ANd with the NBA CBA up at the end of the season, I hope they are taking notes on what not to do.

And at this new meeting Lemieux and the big G will be at the table..... I think the earnest face of the Greatest one will shine once more
(PS I know, I know, poor dumb Leafs fan but I'm still convinced that this is our year )

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

Now I realise why I watch college football

I have to agree,non-hockey crazy cities,especially here in the South are useless.No one goes because hockey isnt the preffered sport around here.Perhaps they need to close some teams and "re-group" during the strike.

Treat your stepmother with respect Pantera, or you'll be sleeping in the streets!!

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

Until the puck actually drops, I believe none of it. I don't understand how the agreed salary cap got so low. And as far as competition goes this year, we could all be screwed (you included, mab!!). It's gonna be such a patheticly short season that all it's gonna take is a hot streak for someone like the Blackhawks or Coyotes to win the False Cup. And on the other hand, it's gonna take a small cold streak for teams like the Red Wings and *GASP* Leafs to miss the playoffs altogether.

Re: N.h.l. - R.i.p.

I don't like how they're going to do a shortened season if it gets going. It could be possible for the bottom of the barrel team to win the cup. It'd be like baseball going on strike then having a short season and the Tigers winning it all.